Hagan seeks pesticide regs change

From staff reports

Published: Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 5:19 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan has taken her fight against “duplicative” pesticide regulations to the next level, trying to include a provision in the 2013 Farm Bill that eliminates what she calls unnecessary and redundant rules that hurt farmers.

Hagan and 11 colleagues wrote a letter Oct. 17 to the chair and ranking member of the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, asking them to include their bipartisan provision in the Farm Bill during conference negotiations between the House and Senate.

Hagan and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) co-sponsored a bill this year to eliminate a requirement that 365,000 pesticide users — including farmers and public health officials — get a Clean Water Act permit before spraying near lakes and streams. The Senate did not incorporate it into the Farm Bill, but the House’s version had similar language.

<p>U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan has taken her fight against “duplicative” pesticide regulations to the next level, trying to include a provision in the 2013 Farm Bill that eliminates what she calls unnecessary and redundant rules that hurt farmers.</p><p>Hagan and 11 colleagues wrote a letter Oct. 17 to the chair and ranking member of the Senate's Agriculture Committee, asking them to include their bipartisan provision in the Farm Bill during conference negotiations between the House and Senate. </p><p>Hagan and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) co-sponsored a bill this year to eliminate a requirement that 365,000 pesticide users — including farmers and public health officials — get a Clean Water Act permit before spraying near lakes and streams. The Senate did not incorporate it into the Farm Bill, but the House's version had similar language. </p><p>Hagan said pesticide applicators already meet stringent federal requirements and argued the Environmental Protection Agency's redundant rule “wastes taxpayer dollars and provides little to no environmental or public health benefits.”</p>